In machines such as those for packaging parenteral infusion bags, the bags are fed into and moved through a series of work stations by a single conveyor which extends through the machine along a bag transport path. The packaging machine is cycled such that the conveyor is intermittently arrested at selected stations so as to allow, for example, the simultaneous filling of one series of bags at one station and the sealing of another series of bags at an adjacent station. The conveyor is then advanced and the filling and sealing process is repeated on other bags on the conveyor.
The use of a single conveyor extending the length of the packaging machine has a drawback in that it requires the operations at the various stations such as filling and sealing of the bags to occur simultaneously. As a result, the packaging machine can cycle no faster than the time required to effect the slowest operation such as filling or sealing, thus adversely affecting the production rate and efficiency of the packaging machine.
What is needed is a conveying apparatus which does not require the operations at the various stations to occur simultaneously so as to increase the production rate and efficiency of the machine.